Each week the Advertiser's heritage writer David Borrett brings readers interesting news stories and letters from editions of the paper from years gone by. 

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER 1859

HOWE’S AND CORNING’S AMERICAN CIRCUS

This equestrian company visited Andover on Tuesday last, and gave two performances in a field near the Railway Tavern, New Town, which were more thinly attended than is usually the case in this town, owing probably to the advanced prices of admission, which the mediocre character of the entertainment by no means warranted.

SERIOUS ACCIDENT

On Tuesday, a child about nine years of age, named Ockley, fell from a first-floor window in Alpha Place, to the pitching beneath with such force as to break its thigh and seriously bruise the head and shoulder. The poor child was taken to Mr J H Elliott by whom its wounds were promptly dressed, but it is still in a very serious state.

 

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER 1898

ACCIDENT

On Wednesday night, the driver of one of the strange conveyances plying between Andover and Weyhill Fair met with a somewhat serious accident by being thrown from the box of his conveyance. He had done his last journey for the day and about 9 o’clock proceeded to the Pelican Inn, New Street, where he was putting up. When near that place he drove the conveyance too near the kerb and the wheel suddenly striking it the force of the impact threw the man from his seat. In falling, his head hit the kerb with such force as to render him insensible, while a severe wound was inflicted on the back of it. He was taken to the Pelican and a doctor summoned, when his injury was attended to, and next day was able to leave for home.

 

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER 1923

NUMBER PLATES IN HIS POCKET

William Jackson jun., of Birkenhead was summoned on two counts: driving a motor cycle without a front identification plate and driving without a light. PC Dance said at 11.45 pm on 1 July he stopped the defendant and asked him why he was driving without a light. He said that something was wrong with the lamp, and it would not burn. Then he noticed there was no identification plate and defendant said, ‘It came off, and I have got it in my pocket.’ He had it in his pocket. Fined 2s 6d and 10s respectively.

 

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 15 OCTOBER 1948

NEW COMPANY TITLE

Members of the organisation which recently called themselves Andover Dramatic Society have now discovered that there is already in existence, although inactive, another company which bears the same name and therefore at a general meeting of members which was held on Monday, it was unanimously decided in order to prevent any future mix-ups to alter the designation of the Society to Andover Theatre Guild. The Guild, as the members are now called is continuing with rehearsals for their forthcoming production, ‘Dr Brent’s Household’, which is to be presented in the Guildhall towards the end of November. This will be the full-length version of the acts of the same play which was performed in the Odeon Cinema at the midnight matinee held in conjunction with the Carnival Week celebrations. The production of ‘Dr Brent’s Household’ in full by the company is an ambitious move but certainly one that will be warmly welcomed by those interested in dramatic art in the locality.

 

FORTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 15 OCTOBER 1976

WHAT A BONNIE COINCIDENCE

Mrs Joyce Stevens writes: I read with interest your article on the coincidence of the mayor’s name, ‘What’s in a name’ and I thought you might be interested in a coincidence which occurred through your paper. Last week, the Advertiser published a photograph of RAF Andover’s harvest thanksgiving service with my two-year-old daughter, Bonnie Lee, giving her offering to the padre. This week’s paper has a photograph on the front page of two children trying out the ‘Water Acquaint’ sessions in Andover, one of them being a two-year-old girl called Bonnie Lee. As the name is definitely not a common one, it is quite a coincidence that not only are the children exactly the same age, but they are pictured in successive weeks of the Andover Advertiser.

DETESTABLE BOTTLES

Miss Mary E Jelley writes: What is the point of change unless it is for the better? I find it intolerable to have my faithful carpenter’s rule rendered obsolete, let alone to be faced with metres, litres, hectares, kilogrammes and all the rest of it. And now this complaint has been caught by the Express Dairy in the form of their new dumpy milk bottles. I trust this may only be an experiment with which to judge consumers’ reactions. Well, mine is unprintable. The new bottle is so designed that its high shoulder and narrower neck prevents the cream from being poured off, and not being a professional juggler I cannot hold more than one bottle at a time between my fingers. How do the milkmen feel about these detestable new bottles? I hope one of them will support me over this latest imposition.